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Ithaca: the Homeric Island
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Featured September 14 , 2005
The Ionian island of Ithaca, immortalized by the epics of Homerr.
The island of Ithaca, or Ithaki in Modern Greek, is located in the Ionian Sea. The island’s name has several possible origins, among which are Ithacus, the son of Poseidon, or Ithacis, a mythical settler. The shape of the island is that of two peninsulas which extend opposite from one another in a northerly and southerly direction. They are joined at the narrow isthmus of Aetos. Ithaca has a length of about 18 miles (29 km), a maximum width of 4 miles (6.5 km), and an area of 57 square miles (92.5 sq. km). Among the smallest inhabited islands in the Ionian, Ithaca is mountainous and rocky, but features several valleys which support vineyards, orchards, and small farms with livestock. The island’s highest peaks are Mount Neritos and Mount Exoghi, located in the north, and Mount Petaleiko in the south. Ithaca has a 45 mile (72 km) coastline with numerous natural ports. The larger islands of Kefalonia to the west and south and Lefkada to the north are nearest in proximity to Ithaca.
The first inhabitants of Ithaca settled the north of the island during the Neolithic period (5000-4000 BC), but their origins are unknown. They established roads, buildings, and walls which remain to this day. Between 1500 and 1100 BC, the Mycenaean period, the island developed into an Ionic kingdom with control of the neighboring islands and colonies on the Hellenic mainland. Specializing in navigation, the seafaring Ithacans explored both within and beyond the Mediterranean Sea. This time of prosperity corresponds with the timeframes of Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey, the latter of which Ithaca is a central setting. Homer himself was purported to have been a native Ithacan, or to have lived on the island in his early years. What is known of Ithaca during the period of glory is mostly provided by Homer. The island primarily produced wine, olive oil, fruit, and sustained herds of livestock which included pigs, goats and cattle. Despite its maritime situation, fishing was a secondary industry due to the population which did not regarded fish highly as a food source. As mentioned before, the Ithacans were superior seafarers who enjoyed constant interaction and trade with the Hellenic states, whom regarded Ithaca well. The kingdom was among the states which participated, rather famously, in the Trojan War under the leadership of heroic King Odysseus. With the Dorian period (starting around 1100 BC) the island fell into obscurity and placed under the administration of its former entities. It would never again regain its Mycenaean splendor. Sources: www.ithaki.org/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephallonia www.ithacagreece.com |
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